De la Espriella Says Trump Recognized His Victory in Colombian Elections

Far-right presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella announced that U.S. President Donald Trump has recognized his victory in Colombia's presidential election. De la Espriella, who preliminary counts show narrowly defeated leftist Iván Cepeda, stated he spoke with Trump shortly before making the announcement.

"I spoke a few minutes ago with the President of the United States, President Donald Trump, and he has expressed his support and recognition of our victory," De la Espriella said during a live broadcast by his campaign team. He also claimed to have received congratulatory calls from the chief of staff for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other representatives of "democracies of the world."

With 99.98% of polling stations reporting, De la Espriella secured 12.9 million votes (49.66%), while Cepeda garnered 12.7 million votes (48.70%). Trump had previously voiced his direct support for De la Espriella on social media, labeling Cepeda as a representative of the "radical left." The U.S. president suggested that a De la Espriella victory would benefit economic growth, security, and bilateral cooperation, a stance that drew criticism from the Colombian government and Democratic Party legislators who deemed it interference in the electoral process.